Middle East

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump stated that the United States could strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain and urged Tehran to be "cautious". "We've noticed that Pickaxe is a little busy." Trump told the Republican Convention that he would advise Iran to not be cute, because they will have to be hit very hard. Pickaxe Mountain is located near Iran's badly damaged Natanz uranium-enrichment facility. It has two deep-buried tunnel systems. Trump has been threatening strikes on Pickaxe Mountain at least since mid-July. Trump and the Republican Party are concerned about the rise in gas and oil prices as a result of...

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that top 'White House' advisers, including Vice President JDVance and Secretary Marco Rubio have privately warned Donald Trump that the conflict could last 'throughout the rest of his presidency. The White House did not respond immediately to a comment request. Journal: The 'advisers' told Trump privately in the Situation Room and the Oval Office that Iran could continue to resist U.S. Pressure, possibly prolonging the conflict past Inauguration day in January 2029. The reported warning is in contrast to Trump's public statements about the war. The president stated on Wednesday that he expects 'the...

The price of oil topped $100 per barrel for the first time in six weeks on Wednesday as an increase in fighting between U.S. forces and Iranian forces heightened concerns about supply coming from 'the -region. This also raised fears over inflationary pressures, and increased energy costs for businesses and consumers. Brent, the global benchmark for oil, has increased by 25 percent since early last week as hope fades of a permanent solution to the six-month old U.S./Iran conflict. This week, the rally intensified after Iran-backed Houthi attacked Saudi energy installations and set them ablaze. The increased risk of disruptions...

Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, hit $100 per barrel Wednesday. This was the first time this has happened since late July. However the price increase is relatively slow despite the escalating conflict in the Middle East that fuels fears of more disruptions to oil shipments. Russell Hardy, CEO Vitol - the world's largest independent oil trader - told the APPEC Conference in Singapore on Tuesday that the Middle East has exported approximately 9 million barrels of crude per day and another 1 million bpd in refined products in recent days. This compares to roughly 20,000,000 barrels of...

Iran threatened the United States with "economic warfare" on Tuesday and said it had ?fired an advanced missile at U.S. warships,underscoring the risks of further escalation in the war only days after both sides traded blows again. The six-month war has been marked by periodic flare-ups and pauses. Last Saturday, U.S. forces attacked three Iranian oil tanks. Iranian state media reported on Sunday that Iran had fired the Qassem Basir rocket. Iran continues to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz despite U.S. efforts to open it. There is also no progress toward a diplomatic breakthrough which could end the...

OPEC+ said that it would not change its oil production policy for 'October' at a meeting held on Sunday. The group must first agree to new quotas in order to decide the next steps. The Iran War continues to disrupt oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz. This limits OPEC+’s influence on prices and market shares. In August, OPEC+ agreed ?its production boost for September, completing a phased rollback of a 1.65 million-barrel-per-day supply cut first agreed in ?2023. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies including Russia, despite the production increases agreed, are still far...

Weapons experts reviewed video and images verified by the Iranian authorities and concluded that it was likely a direct strike by an American munition, not a ricochet from another target. The incident in Kuhestak, a small town in Iran, has reignited concern about the civilian cost of the U.S.-Iran war. It is the most dramatic case to date since a missile hit an Iranian primary school and killed scores of students and teachers in February. U.S. Central Command announced that its forces had carried out multiple strikes in Iran's southern region on Sept. 1. These targeted air defense systems, radars,...

Energy Secretary Chris Wright of the United States said that after arriving in Venezuela on Tuesday, the oil companies in the U.S. as well as?other countries will sign deals in Caracas tomorrow that will result in a more-than-doubling in crude production over the next few year. Wright is in Venezuela for a day-long visit, his second trip since U.S. troops seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's office in January. Venezuelan oil production peaked at over 3 million barrels a day in the late 90s, but then plummeted due to a lack investment, poor management and U.S. sanction. In recent months, it...

Nvidia may be synonymous with AI, but a group of lesser-known power and cooling equipment providers is also cashing in on the global data center construction boom as developers rush to avoid infrastructure bottlenecks. The energy-hungry data centers have created a surge of demand for equipment from transformers to advanced cooling systems. This has created winners throughout Asia's supply chains, though earlier stock price gains have moderated. McKinsey predicts that data centres will be worth $7 trillion by 2030. Nvidia said last week it expected AI spending to continue for many years. It is getting harder to build data centres...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Tuesday that the United States will likely announce sanctions against a bank in this week as part of its economic campaign against Iran. "We will probably announce a sanction against a bank this week and another the following week." Bessent stated that he was speaking with our allies in the area, who had all expressed their support. The treasury secretary said that the United States was targeting airline leasing companies and other entities who did business with the Islamic?Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at an event held on the sidelines of a meeting of 20...

Gulf stock markets rose in early trade Tuesday on higher oil prices, while United Arab Emirates stocks were subdued as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran dampened investor sentiment. Brent crude traded at $91.94 per barrel as of 0804 GMT, an increase of 1.6%. Qatar's benchmark rose 0.6% with all sectors in positive territory. Qatar Fuel Company gained 4.6% while Qatar National Bank (the region's biggest lender) added?1.1%. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index increased by 0.3%. Healthcare, materials, and energy stocks led the way. Saudi Aramco, the oil giant, gained 0.7% while Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical soared by...

Shipping data shows that Turkey increased its diesel imports from the United States and India to record levels in August. This was due to a Russian ban of diesel exports, and to wider disruptions caused by Iran's war. According to Kpler, the commodities data firm, Turkey has imported Indian diesel at a rate of more than 120.000 barrels per day, while its imports from the U.S. have reached 90,000 barrels per daily. Kpler data dating back to 2017 shows that these volumes are the highest monthly totals ever recorded. After Ukrainian strikes on refineries disrupted the domestic supply, Russia has...

The price of oil rose on Friday, and both major benchmarks will 'end the week above $100 per barrel for the first time since mid-May. This is due to the increasing number of attacks on key shipping routes across the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose $1.05 or 1% to $108.68 per barrel at 0045 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude rose 95 cents or 1% to $103.45 per barrel. Both benchmarks were up over 6% Thursday. The benchmarks gained nearly 13% on a weekly basis - the biggest gain since the week ending July 17. The Houthis, who are...

Singapore, Asia's main fuel trading hub, has seen its oil product stockpiles rise to a two-month high, according to government data released Thursday. The increase in stocks of light and middle distillates was also noted. Enterprise Singapore reported that the combined onshore oil products inventories stood at 40.47 millions barrels for the week ending September 9. This compares to 39.04million barrels one week earlier. Multiple?trade sources this week said that September exports to Asia are expected to remain robust for diesel and jet-fuel, but may slow down for gasoline because of margin concerns. Diesel was the major concern in some...

Iran announced on Wednesday that it had attacked ten?ships in the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. had sunk five Iranian oil tanks. This was the largest declared wave of tit for tat attacks by both sides on shipping since the start of the six month-old conflict. As a result of the attacks on and around the important waterway, the price of crude oil soared. The Brent crude international benchmark broke $100 per barrel for the very first time since last July. The average retail price for diesel fuel in the United States has reached a new all-time high of...

Benchmark Brent crude futures surpassed $100 per barrel on Wednesday. This was the first time that the symbol had been breached since July 24, as the intensifying conflict in the Middle East fueled a growing concern about oil exports from the region. Brent crude futures were up $2.15 or 2.2% to $100.07 a bar by 0721 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.70 or 1.83% at $94.73 a bar. Brent crude prices are up by 25% since the beginning of last month, as hope for a permanent solution to the U.S.-Iran conflict fades. The attacks this week by the?Houthis,...

The oil price rose for the 4th straight session, with a gain of more than $1 on early Wednesday trade. Brent crude futures were up 1.4% to $99.33 per barrel at 0212 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude was $94.34 per barrel, an increase of 1.4%. Brent crude prices jumped by 25% since early August, as the hopes of a permanent solution to the six-month old war faded and fighting flared up again. Prices are now fast approaching $100 per barrel. The 'Middle East War' intensified Tuesday as Iranian-backed Houthis launched strikes against several Saudi cities, further entangling a U.S....

The oil prices continued to rise?on?Tuesday, as the risks of a long-term conflict in the Middle East increased after Iran threatened retaliation against any new U.S. attack on its assets. This heightened concerns over supply disruption. Brent crude futures rose 34 cents or 0.35% to $97.34 per barrel at 0000 GMT. U.S. West Texas?Intermediate Crude was $92.63 per barrel, up $1.15 or 1.26%. Brent reached its highest level in the previous session since?July 24, as traders built a risk premium to prices amid increased?tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. This is a major artery for crude oil shipments around the...

Iran will increase the price of gasoline starting Tuesday for those who use more than 110 litres of fuel per month, according to a government spokesperson. Fatemeh Mohajerani, in comments reported by the state media, said that the price for the first and second quotas (which include 110 litres) will remain the same, but that the price for the third quota would be increased to 100,000 Iranian Rials per litre. This is equivalent to around?4 U.S. Cents at the current free-market price. The government discussed and delayed the increase in the price of?Iran’s gasoline, which is among the lowest in...

As tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated, oil prices rose on Friday. They are now heading towards their steepest weekly gains since mid-July. Brent crude futures rose by 54 cents or 0.6% to $96.06 per barrel at 0100 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude crude futures gained 80 cents or 0.9% to $92.10. Brent and WTI both saw weekly gains of 7.6%, while WTI gained 10.4%, the biggest since the week ending July 20. The U.S. attacks on Iran this week, which killed and injured dozens of civilians including Iranians, were the most violent clashes that have occurred between...

Oil prices fell on Thursday, as investors weighed the risk of a disruption in Middle East supplies due to renewed military strikes by the U.S. Brent 'crude futures dropped 43?cents or 0.45% to $95.2 a.barrel.at 0029 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude futures were also down 24 cents or 0.26% at $90.77. The war is now in its seventh full month, and the latest attacks are the most significant exchange of fire since July between the U.S. Brent and WTI fluctuated between gains of up to $2 per barrel and losses as low as $1 during the previous session. Both...

Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy Secretary, said that after arriving in Venezuela on Tuesday that the 'deals' that oil companies from the U.S. The oil companies from the United States and other countries will sign deals in Caracas tomorrow that will result in a more-than-doubling of crude oil production over the next few decades. Wright is on a one day trip to Venezuela, the founding OPEC member. This is his second visit since U.S. troops seized Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro as leader in January. Venezuelan oil production peaked at over 3?million barrels a day in the late 1990s, but then?plummeted due...

Japan's crude oil imports increased by 17% from the previous year in July, as a result of a surge in U.S. Official data released on Monday showed that?shipments, a resurgence in Saudi Arabian purchases and lower supplies from Middle Eastern producers were offset by a rise in?supplies. The Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry reported that imports increased to 2,38 million barrels a day (11.72 millions kilolitres) for the second consecutive month despite disruptions caused by the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. Imports to?the Middle East dropped 21.4% from July. The United Arab Emirates, Japan's two largest suppliers, and Saudi Arabia...

Asia's crude oil imports in August were still far below levels before the Iran conflict. This raises further questions about how much crude actually leaves the Middle East. According to Kpler's data, the top-importing continent will see an arrival of 23,12 million barrels per day (bpd) this August. This is a slight decrease from July, when 23.36 million bpd were expected. Imports have also fallen by almost?4 million bpd or 14% from the average of 26,91 million bpd for the three-month period ending in February. The United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on 28 February, prompting Tehran...